Boknice275

A hagiographic depiction of the Pretenders alongside each other The Pretenders (diekdikitís) are a collection of lesser deities worshiped by the Cliffian peoples as prominent aspects of various domains within reality. Within this culture, the Pretenders all compete against each other for the ultimate role of Pantokrator. In this sense, the followers of these Pretenders know well the limits of their power, and still admire and respect them as the forces of nature they believe them to be. Within the religion of the pretenders, which is spiritualistic at its core, sacrificial offerings, prayers, and the maintenance of temples are key mainstays of practice. It is not uncommon for each Pretender to have its own temple “cult” (a group devoted specifically to that figure above any other) and an entire culture of religious practices unique to them. Though it is also common for the Pretenders to be worshiped as a group, seen as complementing elements that exist within metaphysical tension with one another. Although there are endless amounts of Pretenders within the Cliffian worldview, below are a few of the most popular and recognizable ones who also play a consequential role within the mythos of Pretender faith. Kaptos, Pretender of Mighty Storms (Lesser spirit of Lightning Strikes and Roaring Thunder under Neizdark) King of the Pretenders, ruler of the skies, bearer of the Sacred Bolt, master of thunderous power, Kaptos is the most popular Pretender within the pantheon and is widely considered to be its leader. Nicknamed the Father of the Pretenders, Kaptos’s domain stretches from thunderous skies, rainstorms, lightning, and such patterns which reflect his might within the natural world. The mythos of Kaptos dictates that he, alongside Pallas Vellena, his sister, and Neptos, his brother, devised a plan shortly after the birth of creation to reclaim reality from the warring Titans, who are believed to have forged reality from their combined wills. The story claims that Kaptos, with the intelligence and strategy of Vellena, the might of the seas under Neptos, warred against the Titans by unleashing both the elemental order of existence and numerous divine constructs and races, such as giant Bronze automatons and centaurs, nymphs, and daimons, against them in battle. The war lasted for over two decades, with new Pretenders joining the efforts against the Titans with each passing year, until a total of twelve of them had combined forces to overcome them. After the defeat of two Titans brought devastation across the natural world, Gaea forced a ceasefire to be called between the Pretenders and the Titans. Kaptos, with the help of Vellena, forged a contract of terms between the Pretenders and Gaea and the titans with the following conditions: in exchange for ending the war, the Pretenders would be given the right to war among themselves to decide who will gain ultimate dominion over reality as the Pantokrator. The Titans would withdraw from the natural world and into their own realms, with the exception of Gaea and Promeus, the Titan over volcanoes and magma within the Earth, who gave mortals the ability to harness fire and heat to the advancement of civilization. Gaea begrudgingly agreed to these terms but has still found ways to assert the Titan’s influence into the world, specifically through using nymphs and other entities as ambassadors for her will, and acting upon the worshipers of the Pretenders themselves who decide to honor her and her authority. Kaptos emerged from this conflict as a leading figure, and it is said he is the reason why no Pretender has successfully clinched the title of Pantokrator. Even Vellena and Temeres, with their emphasis on war and strategy, have difficulties overcoming the sheer force and dominance that Kaptos possesses on the battlefield. Priests of Kaptos are often called upon to ward off harsh storms or to exact Kaptos’s vengeance upon those who might seek to trifle with them and their nations. Kaptos is often portrayed as a selfish, prideful, and bashful Pretender, seeing others as means to an end, and warring endlessly to claim the title of Pantokrator. Helena Katharsios, Pretender of Purification (Lesser Spirit of Lawful Purity under Scorthuz) Lady Helena, sometimes known as Helena the Pure Lawgiver, or the anassa (queen) of Lawful Katharsios, and the Maiden Alexicacus (averter of evil) is one of the most popular figures within the Pretender religion, rivalling even Vellena and Kaptos in the amount of devotees she attracts to her ranks. Helena’s role within Pretender religion is one that concerns purity, in heart, mind, and soul, and therefore constitutes a significant role within the cultures and practices of the adherents of the Pretenders. Purity is seen as an important condition to reach and maintain within the Pretender religion in every respect. The impure, they believe, cannot access the insights or wisdom of the Pretenders, nor can they live in a way that brings about eudaimonia, flourishing, or arete, excellence. This concept explains Helena's popularity. Helena’s might is called upon to cleanse all afflictions of soul and mind, whether brought about through foul magicks, curses, monsters and daimons, or through mundane sources such as poisonings. On the other hand, Helena is often known to afflict the impure and criminals under her Pure Law with debilitating conditions that stop their illegal activities. Exorcisms, cleansings, and purgation rituals almost exclusively invoke Helena and her pure law as the only divine force in the matter. Offerings and prayers are given to her as well before every ritual or religious event honoring the Pretenders to ensure nothing malign attaches itself in the process. Helena’s power is known to even contend with other Pretenders and their actions if and when she sees fit and is asked in a way that is befitting to her status. Helena is believed to represent the necessity of divine law in governing the actions of mortals, such as respect for the Pretenders, an acknowledgment of Gaea and her rules of creation, and basic respect for the laws, customs, and norms of their civilizations and leaders. Thus, Helena is most at ease and appeased when her followers acknowledge both mortal and spiritual laws, and seek to follow them for the correct reasons - and avoid any and all influences of mind, soul, and body that might lead them astray. The ‘pure law,’ which constitutes both the will of Helena as communicated by her priests and intermediaries, and also a general reverence for the spiritual order, is taken seriously within all sects of the Pretender religion and a violation of it is often the first step of invoking Helena’s presence into any given situation. Helena’s priests often act as exorcists, protectors, guides, and cleansers against all violations of the pure law - mortal and otherworldly alike - within their societies. The sacred animal of Helena is the Peacock. Pallas Vellena, Pretender of Strategy, Warfare, Wisdom, and Invention (Lesser Spirit of Strategic Invention Under Vulka) Pallas Vellena, the mind of Eternity, the Lady of Strategy, she-who-births-mighty-works, and Maiden of Warfare, is a Pretender adored by all order-bound warriors, strategists, tacticians, and inventors within the Pretender faith. She is widely considered one of the most intelligent and wise members of the Pretender pantheon. Contrary to her brother, Temeres, who represents the primality and brutality known to open warfare, Vellena insists that her followers rely on strategy, precision, and technique over brute force or violence in matters of warfare. Practicing and refining the art of warfare is a key tenet of worshiping Vellena. Both the practical strategies offered by Vellena in mythos and teaching, and her alleged influence alongside her followers in conflict, are credited with many victories in battles of many scales, from skirmishes to wars between nations. Followers of Vellena are often military officials, amateur warriors, or clerics who have adopted an aesthetic of warfare. They serve as the minds and defenders of the nations they live in, oftentimes forging mighty inventions and grand strategies in Vellena’s name. Given Vellena’s emphasis on intellectual arete, these individuals tend to have extensive knowledge of many different domains, not just warfare, making them grand wells of knowledge in many subjects. In Pretender mythos, Vellena is credited with the downfall of the Titans (the race of beings credited with forging existence itself), outsmarting the Giants of Stakos, a race of warrior-beings from the underworld who bled into the natural world. And she is also credited with being the only Pretender who has devised means to keep back the might of Temeres and Kaptos from consuming the world during their occasional fits of rage. The sacred animal of Vellena is the owl. Neptos, Pretender of the Seas (Lesser Spirit of Oceanic Wrath and Protection under Ankrus) The shaker of the Earth, the might of the Seas, the King of the Tides, Neptos is perhaps one of the most feared names in the entire Pretender pantheon. Respected by seafarers and navies, both his protection and assistance is beckoned when traversing the high seas. Neptos is known to offer favorable winds and gentle tides to those who gain his favor, while surrendering those who offend him to the cruel fate of the seas. Neptos is often visualized wielding a jewel-encrusted trident while standing atop a rock of coral, governing the condition of the seas with unilateral might. He is the brother of Kaptos and one of the principal participants in the overthrow of the Titans and the eventual removal of their influence from the material world. His priests are often sea-fearers who beseech protection for seaside nations and beseech Neptos’s mercies from natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis. Ariena, Pretender of Hunting and the Wild (Lesser Spirit of Archery Hunting and Taming under Votar) Often called the great huntress or the Archer-Maiden of the Wilds, Ariena is a beloved Pretender for hunters, outdoorsmen, and pioneers within the faith. She is said to bless the fortunes of those who seek to tame and hunt grand beasts of the wilds, especially if such ventures are undertaken through archery. Pretender mythos dictates that Ariena prefers archery because it was an art she used to bring down the Cyclops Tok, who was feared throughout the lands of Bronze for successfully defeating every hunter who tried to stop him while also destroying entire villages. Ariena’s bow is believed to have fell him with one strategic shot to the eye. His body was then taken and dispersed to every land and nation devastated by him to be used as trophies and a reminder of Ariena’s triumph over even the most fearsome creature of the wilds. Ariena is often invoked when a new settlement is built in untamed land, or just before undergoing dangerous hunts that will involve directly confronting the wildness of Gaea. Ariena is believed to be the only Pretender who can contend with Vellena on the level of tact and strategy, and it is also believed that she has come close to besting Kaptos for the Pantokrator role on more than one occasion. Ariena’s priests are often huntsmen, archers, and explorers who beseech her tact and precision against the untamed wilds of the world. It is said that Ariena abhors untamable predators, and will grant additional assistance to any devout follower who seeks to use her means to bring them to heel. This makes both natural creatures and supernatural ones of grand might, such as Dragons or their descendants (like Azdrazi), daimons (Inferi), popular targets for Ariena’s followers during their divine hunts. Apolloyion, Pretender of Sunlight and Creation (Lesser Spirit of sunrays and daybreak under Aztran) Apolloyion, sometimes called Apollo for short, the Phoebus (bright shining), King of the Sun, and the Hekatos (far-shooter) of Light, and the Alexicacus (averter of evil) is the Pretender who rules over the Sun, light, and governs day within the mortal world. Apolloyion is said to have the ability to ward off plagues and diseases, expose lies and schemes that occur under darkness, and also give good fortune upon those who receive his smile. Apollo is also said to give visions and signs to those who beseech and honor them, ones that guide the course of fate, fortune, and behavior. Son of the Titan Promeus, Apolloyion established his place among the Pretenders when he slayed the Styxos, a three-headed hydra birthed from the shadows which terrorized numerous villages in the lands of Bronze at night. In Pretender mythos, Apollo received a vision of this beast and its location, and went to the forge of Vellena and stole a golden bow infused with the might of the Pretenders, but unusable to anyone except a specific individual who possessed the arete to harness the creatorial force of the sun at any time. Apollo, given his divine lineage, had such a spark within him. He took the bow and went to a village named Crata during the dead of night, where the moon barely shone, and waited atop a small hut for the arrival of Styxos. Within moments the beast swept in, making its announcement through a faint screech that took the lives of anyone who heard it by petrifying them with fear. The mythos goes on to explain that Apolloyion, in a mighty act of courage, approached Styxos whilst he was briefly distracted and fired his bow at him, unleashing a volley of fifty arrows at Styxos infused with the power of the sun. The beast was felled and the shadows of the night immediately faded, bringing about an era of eternal sunlight over the land where Styxos lay dead. It is said that Apollo’s act on this day gave the sun its supremacy over the lands of Gaea and her natural cycles, and permanently subordinated night to its measure, creating the day-night cycle seen by all today. Daybreak is therefore considered a holy time for followers of Apolloyion. Apollo left Styxos’s corpse to roast in the naked light of the day and took upon himself the title of light-giver and protector. In the modern day, Apollo’s rays bring forth clarity, truth, and ward off even the most fearsome agents of the night. His priests are often protectors and guides of the communities they live in, and Apolloyion’s light is said to bless those who revere him and his example of courage by praying and offering sacrifices to him. Apolloyion slaying Styxos and bringing the Sun to rule over darkness. Temeres, Pretender of War and Conflict (Lesser spirit of chaotic warring under Enrohk) The ravager, the father of war, the master of strife, all of these titles encapsulate the reputation of one of the most feared members of the Pretenders pantheon. Temeres, brother of Vellena, is known in Pretender myth for his guttural, brutal, and chaotic approach to conflict. Unlike his sister, who is known for helping armies triumph over their foes through sound planning and witty strategies, Temeres dominates through total warfare and complete destruction, where no standard of decorum, decency, or morality prevents the annihilation of anyone who opposes him or his followers. Temeres was one of the last Pretenders to join the war against the Titans, and the mystery cults connected to him often argue his role in the conflict had more of an effect on the outcome than Vellena, who is often credited with helping Kaptos drive the Titans from the world. In the longstanding rivalry between Vellena and Temeres, Pretender mythos dictates that Vellena’s measured ways have always won against Temeres brutality, creating a slight rivalry between their respective followings. It is widely agreed by both factions, however, that to face a priest or warrior of Temeres on the battlefield is akin to fighting a force of nature: a prepared foe may overcome them, but unprepared or tactically inept forces are bound to viciously be cut down by the Ravager’s wrath. Temeres’s priests are often called in when Vellena’s strategies have failed, or when they are not appropriate for the adversary at hand. Gladiators, champions, and other confrontational warrior types are often included in the ranks of Temeres and his following. Priests of Temeres, in addition to being wielders of brute strength, generally have the ability to call down the Curse of Temeres in battle through a special prayer to the Ravager, which causes a foe’s own passions to consume them and their allies. This curse has ended many battles before they have started, and has even intensified the level of brutality involved in conflicts where Temeres was present, where his enemies tore themselves apart, and then he picked up the pieces at his pleasure. Panos - Pretender of the Wilds (Lesser Spirit of Grand Wilderness under Freygoth) Whereas Ariena tames the wilds, Panos embodies the fullness of wilderness and its excesses. Known as a being with the head and legs of a goat, with the upper-body of a man, Panos is revered by settlers, outdoorsmen, farmers, shepherds, and admirers of the unrefined parts of the natural order all alike. Brother to Kaptos and largely considered King of the Wilds, Panos is considered an active force within reality, perhaps even moreso than other Pretenders who represent more abstract concepts. Pretender mythos Panos fought in the war against the Titans as a centaur aligned with a cult of Kaptos, one who was elevated to the same divinity of the Pretenders through ritualistic sacrifice, though he was not quite yet a Pretender. One tale claims that during a battle between the Pretenders and the Titans, Panos contributed to Pretender victory by letting out a massive screech and an air shattering sound with his hooves which caused the Titan forces to reel back in fear. After Gaea and the Titans were formally excluded from the world upon their defeat, Panos claimed the title of Pretender of the Wilds, and began to lord over the domains which formerly belonged to the Titans in his own way. Mystery cults, pioneers, farmers, and mountainous villages sprung up in devotion to Panos and were guided by an ethic of rustic simplicity, natural living, and a deep respect for nature. In a sense, Panos fulfilled Gaea’s mandate merely by guiding what was left unguided in her absence. Followers of Panos tend to be quite separate from the rest of Pretender society, preferring the isolation of nature and the beasts of the wilds to more formal examples of civilization. Priests of Panos are entrusted with making well-placed prayers to ward off wild beasts from settlements, and also to ensure the wilds cooperate with activities done to sustain life, such as gathering resources and such. In battle, Panos’s followers are known to make prayers that invoke his power in a way that mimics his legendary screech against the titans. This horrific power is known to cause even the most strong-willed soldiers to flee in utter terror, giving Panos’s priests a reputation for being able to shift battlefields with relative ease. The sacred animal of Panos is the goat. Algryines - Pretender of Pain and Wrath (Lesser spirit under Krathol of Vengeful Suffering) Wrath and retribution are important features within the religion of the Pretenders and the cultures that worship them. Adherents believe that acts that rebel against the divine order can be punished in many ways, among them being calling upon the curse of the dreaded Algryines. Algryines is a Pretender whose main function is executing vengeance upon the foes of the Pretenders and those who might seek to disrupt the world in its proper functioning. Murderers, for instance, might suffer wounds upon their body and mind from the horror of their act. Committing patricide or matricide, two grave offenses within the culture of the Pretenders, might be met with immense torment and madness to the mind of the offender. A nation that faces the wrath of Algryines might notice its crops die and its vitality fade away. In any case, the priests of Algryines serve a dual function as wrathful executioners of divine order within the world, a strong reminder of the enduring might of the Pretenders. This Pretender is often visualized as a sole woman with discolored skin wearing a dark cloak, or a group of women with a similar appearance walking in unison with one-another, speaking in one voice. Terana - Nymph of Gaea (Lesser Spirit of Rugged Terrain and foliage under Bregthar) In the cosmology of the Pretender faith, the world is the physical embodiment of a Titaness named Gaea, a being who played a role in shaping the very structure of reality as we know it. These beings, with the exception of a handful, are largely shut off from the world they helped create except through their echoes, enabling the Pretenders to assert dominion over what formerly belonged to the Titans. Terana is one such echo of Gaea, an ancient daimon of terrain and foliage who was entrusted many eons ago with guardianship over the natural world and its various structures. As one of the last enforcers of the will of the Titans and Gaean law, Terana takes her role as protector of the Earth quite seriously, and similarly demands her followers do the same. In a world sprawling with continued defilements of the Gaean order from runaway nations that carelessly excavate for hollow purposes, to chaotic darkspawn spoiling crops and creating hellish landscapes with foul magicks, the role of Terana and those who heed her wisdom are exceptionally important. Terana and her priests not only work to heal the land of its unnatural wounds, they also seek to prepare the world for the restoration of Gaean natural law, which is the last major echo of the order of the Titans within reality. To those who are willing to bid her presence, Terana also acts as the will of Gaea herself, capable of bringing the debilitating weight of mountains upon those who might defile it, to trap and bury them in its immense, and lending its strength to others who vow to defend it. For this reason, many priests and priestesses of Pallas Vellena also cooperate with Terana to ground their strategies in the will of Gaea herself and use it to dominate battlefields. The cults of Panos and Ariena are generally indifferent or hostile to Terana worship, viewing her as an agent of the Titans and a potential threat to their control over nature. However there are examples of Panos, Ariena, and Terana cooperating alongside one another to defeat bigger threats to the natural order, leaving open the possibility for situational collaboration between their respective followings.

BROKEN. FAILURE. ABANDONED. These words streamed through the mind of Pharaoh Atemu-Ta, who once presided over the revival of Rahmun civilization in the modern world. The Pharaoh considered himself to be the anointed of the Gods, and for a moment, the budding resurgence of the Rah’mun peoples caused him to believe it. Rahtuma went from a lost civilization that had fallen to the ravages of Isfet, to a growing, formidable force within the orcish lands of Krugmar, to its own semi-independent vassalage city beneath the banners of first the dark elves and then the Oyashiamen. In the name of the divine order of Ka’tau, Atemu knew that he waged war against Isfet on many occasions, often to the glorification of Rah’tuma’s name and to the empowerment of the Gods. He brought the influence of Hesthor, the goddess of purity, to bear against the feared ambassador of Azdromoth himself within the mortal world, the An-Gho, and the now-felled Gashaudokoro. He cleansed their lands, waged war against their agents, and contended with them when others who proclaimed the virtue of the spiritualists shirked in fear or indifference. He cleansed afflictions from across the nations with the waters of Hesthor, brought in the lost and treated them as his own people, and built Rah’tuma as a citadel of order in a corrupt world. He drove back marauders and undead alike with the might of the Gods in his hands. He even came close to convincing a Haenseti noblewoman, who eventually became its Queen, to secretly follow the Rah’mun faith in the form of worshiping Hesthor after demonstrating her healing might over an impure affliction. Surely these were signs of a new dawn not just for the Rah’mun people, but also for the world. Or so he thought. . . ‘Was it all for naught?’ Atemu considered. At what cost did these great feats happen? His sister, Meret-Pa, died at the hands of the Orcs during his attempted escape from the brutalities of Krugmar. His people were kidnapped and killed on multiple occasions by Orcish raiding parties who sought to exact vengeance upon Atemu for his refusal to follow their ways. His people lost everything twice, and now for a third time, with no clear path to rejuvenation. He could not even protect the shrines of the Rah’mun faith from persistent vandalization and destruction at the hands of those who sought to destroy his project. And most devastatingly, the Pharaoh considers.. His own people, whom he considered the protectors of order within this world, refused to respect him. With very few exceptions, Atemu was not seen as someone worthy of respect, but as a pretender mimicking an aesthetic of spiritualism that was idiosyncratic at best; at worse, a petty tyrant, a cult leader, who was leading a herd of followers to slaughter along with him due to his perceived recklessness. “What contradictions do I carry?” Atemu asked himself as he wandered the vast wildernesses of Azuras, a Pharaoh no more. “Blessed by the Gods, and yet cursed to the misfortune of a vagrant nomad?” He reflected. And it was true, shortly before the downfall of Rah’tuma’s second and last city in Almaris, the last remnants of resistance preserving Kemet-Taw, the Rah’mun homeland, from ruins had themselves failed in their mission. There was now truly no place to go for Atemu or his people if their new settlements did not work out. And as fate would have it, they did not. The promise of the Gods to Atemu that he would lead a second Rah’mun Golden Age rang hollow. Isfet consumed the world with the emergence of more foul entities and the shrinking of those who fight for good and truth in the world. Nations of all sorts, formerly mighty, collapsed beneath the weight of a Canonist empire, one with little care of the Gods, Ka’tau, or the mandates of either. The weight of these revelations continued to bear down upon the Pharaoh as he wandered… And wandered… And wandered… At some point in his journey he came upon a tree, one fashioned from Sycamore, reminiscent of the gifts of Hesthor to the natural world within Rah’mun mythos and widely praised as a holy tree by his people. With a heave and sigh, Atemu fell to his knees, gripping the Ankh cross around his neck and closing his eyes. He forcibly snatched the Ankh from his neck and threw it at the bottom of the tree, speaking solemnly, yet with conviction. “I do not know why the Gods have abandoned the world for the ravages of chaos. I do not know why victory was snatched from the grasp of my people, and why prosperity was denied to us. Ra’s smile never dawned upon us for but a moment; Ka’tau’s favor left us, Te’uth’s wisdom eluded us, Hesthor’s purity has forsaken us.” He paused, allowing the silence to hang over the moment like a veil over a maiden’s face. “What I do know, however, is that order persists, whether chaos reigns or slumbers. And so long as there is just one who acknowledges the light of truth and refuses to give way to Isfet, the world has hope yet.” Atemu then turned his back to the tree, leaning on it as he gazed towards the heavens. “I was not the one to carry the will of Ka’tau into fruition, I know that. And perhaps even the Rah’mun peoples were not the ones. But someone, somewhere, must take the torch and use it to blaze a path anew, for a world where order reigns, darkness is snuffed out, purity is prominent, and lawfulness is expected. If I have any final prayer as I forsake the mantle of Pharaoh,” He said, staring in the direction of the sun, which is believed to be the embodiment of Ra’tuhmet, “May it be this: Do not let the dream of an orderly world die with my people.” Atemu then rose to his feet and walked in the opposite direction of the tree, burdened by his thoughts and the experiences of ages. The Rah’mun were perhaps not destined to rise again, but maybe some people, somewhere, would pick up where they left off and succeed where they could not. Perhaps someone, somewhere, would remember just how important eternal ideas are even amid the fluctuations of ages. Perhaps someone, somewhere, would not forget that courage is the only kind of strength worth having, because without courage defeat is assured. And perhaps someone, somewhere, would be inspired by the memory of Rah’tuma, its triumphs over Isfet, its defeats and mistakes, and the mere exceptional fact of its existence in the first place. Perhaps someone, somewhere… OOC SPOILER: OOC: Images of Rah'tuma throughout the years:

[!] A letter is sent to the Shugonate of Koyo-Koyuni bearing the Pharaoh's insignia and an image of a curved Eye of Ra. Upon opening the letter, the following is found written in plain text. "Leh-iy Shugonate leaders, This writ is little more than libel directed against the people of Rah'tuma for reasons that are unbeknowst to me. Firstly, you speak of a payment of debts, when it is known by every member of the Rah'mun tribe that our split for Koyo-Koyuni was amicable, mutual, and proceeded with an understanding that we would return to our homelands Kemet-Taw to fight the advance of Isfet in the lands where Naseret once walked. Why you have taken it upon yourself to traffic in deceit, I do not know for the life of me. Perhaps you caught wind of my return - many years after the ruin of our old city, which I only learned about when my people returned from Kemet-Taw to an Isfetian wasteland in the place of our former home - and thought it may appease old interests to provoke a needless hunt. I have no interest in entertaining that. My people wish to exist peacefully and among the land, not in tension with anyone. If there is an offense that we have committed unknowingly and unwittingly, we will recompense for it. Second, this charge that I 'returned' to stop an advance against the destruction of our former home is also mired in deceit. I have not been on this continent for decades, and you are well aware of that. If any so-called Pharaoh emerged at that moment, it was a deceitful illusion concocted by the Isfetian that destroyed the place where my grandchildren, and many other Rah'muns, were born and lived in harmony. What an offense to suggest that I would partake in the destruction of Ka most sacred. It is untrue, it is a lie, and I am willing to prove it in whatever way you seek. To settle this score, I am willing to pay double - or triple - the amount you claim we owe, so long as you recant this bounty, admit it contains mistaken information, and allow my people to exist in harmony. I can arrange the payment to be sent through Chariot or bird, just say the word. I hope we can come to an arrangement in the light of truth. Sincerely, Atemu-Ta Pharaoh of the Nomadic Rah'mun peoples.

[!] The Pharaoh's glowing gaze runs across the missive delivered to him by a servant. After a few moments of idle observation, Atemu shakes his head and taps his crook upon the marble grounds of his palace. "Call forth the Netjer of Hesthor and Ra - they will ensure this Isfetian rift is not opened, and bring forth the judgment of the Gods upon these foul magi." The Pharaoh stated. His servants then scatter, summoning the various Netjer of Rah'tuma. ( @Digit_005@wolfersquad2004@BlauRps@Trekker Falchion )

Battle of Heaven and Earth: Part 1 [!] A missive is distributed to the nations of Man throughout Braevos which bears a wax seal etched with the Lorraine cross. Upon opening the missive the following is seen. Greetings beloved, to all sons and daughters of Canondom; I come bearing news of the wicked Auspice of Justice who bears the moniker “Raguel.” My apprentice, known to the nations as the Dawnservant, and I encountered this being in the frigid north of Ailmere. He manifest to us in the frigid skies bearing a sword of flames, with a wingspan that stretched across the sky, and a countenance that conveys anything but holiness. Beloved, his appearance was little more than a mockery of GOD’S mighty servants the Angels of the Seven Skies. He stared towards both of us menacingly, and was unmoved by our attempts to speak to him. I confronted him about his manipulation of the Kingdoms of Man; I rebuked him, I told him to reveal his true intentions to me. In the Scrolls, GOD’S servants are not silent about the glory of HIM, nor do they conceal their intentions. But this Raguel said “nothing” and ultimately responded by attacking me. He rushed towards me with such speed that he appeared as a blur of Light, one barely perceptible to my mortal eyes. Fast though he was, GOD sustained me as I brought my shield to bear against his strike, which split it into pieces within an instant. I held aloft my blade enwreathed in GOD’S holy flame and light and struck forth at the fraud. My counter attacks seemed impervious to his form. It was at this moment, for a short time, that I considered if I may have been incorrect about Raguel. Perhaps he was an ANGEL OF THE LORD who shared a similar mantle to Malchediael. He then sent forth his fist to strike me, but not before my blade STRUCK TRUE into the ‘angel’s’ eye. Yes, beloved, my blade pierced the flesh of this ‘angel’ of the LORD, and yellow ichor poured from the wound. This ends my recollection, the rest of this narrative will be penned by my apprentice, who witnessed the rest of the encounter. To pick up where the Holy Ser had for me to continue, I had gone for a strike to one of his wings the first time though it did not seem to impede or bring forth a reaction from the Auspice. For after I freed my blade from his wing, I went to strike his sword-bearing arm and made him bleed his yellow ichor onto my flamberge, though the Pretender seemed not to care about anything involving myself, for some strange reason that I had thought at the moment before I bore witness to the Auspice of Justice striking down the Holy Ser who had gone unconscious from the blow to his face. It was then I realized… RAGUEL MEANT TO STRIKE A DEFENSELESS AND UNCONSCIOUS ELDER, but not only that dear brothers and sisters of the flock of Canondom, but to also MUTILATE the sword-bearing arm of the unconscious and defenseless Holy Ser! I tried my best to break the Auspice away from the Holy Ser but to no avail as if he weight the weight of stone and CLEAVED the sword-hand of Holy Ser Philip, a man who dedicated his life to the Church and it’s inquisition to uproot all heresies from GOD’S flock. I, filled with righteous vigor, took it upon myself to bring judgment to the Auspice of Justice by freeing his sword-bearing arm from his body with my blade. This made the Auspice flee into the sky while I put myself between it and the unconscious and bleeding Holy Ser until I saw a most eldritch and horrifying sight that no man, woman, or child of ALMIGHTY GOD would witness from what many see as one of HIS messengers… The severed arm had vanished into a puff of ash upon contact with the blanketed ground and as The Pretender stared down at me and I up at him, he showed me that he was not the Aengul view him as, Raguel’s arm started to reform, but not as Holy Light, but as FLESH, BLOOD, CARTILAGE, and SKIN!!! After which, Raguel shot to the skies above and out of my view, with him gone from the battlefield, I tended to Holy Ser Philip’s injury with immediate first aid to stop the bleeding and wrap it in bandages before I laid him across my horse and back to our home. My brothers and sisters, of the layflock and of the robes, I bear the grimdark news that as first-hand witness to what occurred upon Ailmere’s blanketed and shrouded lands that the one known to all as “Raguel, Aengul of Justice” is NOT a messenger of our LORD GOD but a MORTAL of unknown abilities that are unnatural to the common Descendant to wield. While I can only form theories of what The Pretender actually is, I can only speculate that he is some form of DARKSPAWN that none of us have bore witness to before. So I call upon in request to the Curia and the Holy Inquisition of our LORD GOD’S Holy Mother Church to look into what is the true nature of this Auspice of Justice, for if we are too late to figure out what he actually is then those that bare the titles of “Aengul of GLORY” and “Aengul of REWARD” will continue to manipulate the layflock and of the robe to listen to them as they call themselves Messengers of GOD. I beg as a member of the layflock for this request to be taken upon immediately or we WILL face the AUSPICES OF GLORY AND REWARD very soon. SIGNED, Ser Philip the Righteous and The Dawnservant

[!] Grymus, the wise Dwarven wizard, puffs on his pipe as he reads the notice whilst wandering the forests of Anbella within the Dwarven kingdom. A smile comes across his face as he marches towards the mountain, prepared to ensure the will of the Brathmordakin succeeds.

An artist's depiction of the newest Hesthor shrine in the western swamplands The March of Purity Continues [!] An ethereal sight lies in wait deep within the swamps. Just over the river strewn with mighty Ankh crosses that glow with spiritual synergies that face another shrine of spiritual power, a less boisterous sight rests. A shrine crafted in the image of a cow woman, bearing mighty jewels and quartz upon it’s form, pours forth a waterfall of clear waters into a pool below. Soft echoes of old blah resound within [8] meters around the shrine, demonstrating its connection to a domain beyond this world… Upon closer inspection of the shrine, several Ankh crosses and Old Blah inscriptions are seen etched into its form. The only Common phrase upon the shrine is “HESTHOR, GODDESS OF PURE WATERS.” These shrines, whatever their purpose, clearly were becoming more numerous within the swamplands. And that spells a bad omen for the dark forces of Isfet.

The Coming of Purity [!] In the far southwestern reaches of Braevos lies a rotting swamp, brimming with decayed flora and brillant Fauna of all sorts. Occult sites, strange villages, a Voidal heath and other abominations stain the land, giving quarter to the various forces of darkness to operate isolated in the backwater biome. But just beyond the mountain reaches of Koyo-Kuni where Rah’tuma sits looking over the swamps lies a different scene. A small patch of land was wrested from the decay of the swamp and converted into a domain of pure white sands. In the middle of the land rests a spiritually created Oasis, upon which sits a quartz shrine to the great spirit Hesthor. The shrine is scrawled over with Rah’mun hieroglyphics and various Old Blah devotions to the great Purifier. Echoes of Old Blah musings directly from the spirit realm surround the blessed sight, further adding to its extravagence. The quartz pillars of the shrine have small murals upon them, depicting a prophecy of silver-white river washing into Aevos, drowning numerous impure forces such as Dragons, necromancers, demons, foul sorcerers, all depicted in Rah’mun style. The shrine itself faces another holy sight: a set of four Ankh crosses, representing the Rah’mun faith’s view of life, sit upon the formerly dirtied river, gleaming with jewels and natural light. The waters themselves, formerly dirtied by the decay of the swamps, brim with natural purity, blue and sparkling, not an inch of filth to be found. The entire area gleams with an otherworldly quality, holding both a promise and a vision of the kind of world that is possible: one free from the machinations of Isfet (darkspawn), disease, sickness, or foul practices where the world bows to will of the Spirits. That world, prophesied in mighty Rah’mun canons, was dawning now in the most unlikeliest places. Nothing would stop it. The coming of the Great River is certain. OOC info:

"Evil flourishes only when good men refuse to do their duty. Raguel and his project will NOT succeed, with GOD as my witness." Ser Philip says from a faraway island off the shores of Aevos. He then goes back to drafting plans to train the next generation of GOD's holy knights - the resistance.

"The word of Raguel," Philip repeats those words over and over again, before simply shaking his head. "What about the word of GOD? Men make a mockery of the divine for their lack of knowledge. I rebuke this order by the power of GOD. May the fire of Owyn illuminate their minds and reveal the true nature of the deceiver Raguel."

[!] The old, pious templar Ser Philip simply shakes his head as he reads the missive. He particularly arches a brow in response to the attack against his student, Xavier, and their investigation of Raguel. "The spirit of insanity has overtaken this one's mind. He is in need of serious deliverance, for he is not operating under the strength and order of mind that is of GOD." Philip then signs the lorraine in front of the missive. "LORD - wherever the author of this wretched work of insanity and heresy is, I decree that deliverance shall visit him, set him free, and expose him to the evils of Raguel. Amen."

"Deception," Ser Philip uttered as he sharpened his anorum longsword whilst staring at the sea that surrounds the island he is on. "Mass deception, these fools are being led into Iblees's trap by their own doing." Philip then falls to one knee and looks up to the sky, spreading his hands wide, "GOD - deliver the minds of those deceived by this pretender, and strike down his influence by thunder."

DELIVERANCE A Declaration Against the Pretender [!] The following missive is found throughout the various realms of Canondom, posted on notice boards, hanging on the walls of taverns and some even nailed to the doors of churches. The missives are marked with both a Lorraine Cross and a single fire next to it, an Owynist symbol. ▪────༺ ☨ ༻────▪ Blessings in the name of our LORD, who brings forth tranquility, absolution, and order. The time is nigh, people of Canondom. GOD is calling us to clarity of mind regarding recent events. My name, Ser Philip the Righteous, has been spoken in the lands in association with recent investigations about the pretender “angel” Raguel. It is I, Ser Philip, who was once Grandmaster of the Holy Inquisition, a once venerable institution in Canondom. It is I, Ser Philip, who has counseled Kings, Dukes, Pontiffs, and young pupils in the ways of the LORD over the course of my life. It is I, Ser Philip, who has defended the realm of Men when our most daring adversaries rose their heads, such as the Mori or the accursed Cloudbreaker. It is true, people of Canondom, that I instructed my students to investigate the authenticity of this “angel,” and what we have found is nothing short of damning. It is true, beloved, that this ‘Raguel’ fits the description of the deceivers spoken of in the holy Book of Auspice. It is true, beloved, that this ‘Raguel’ sends the people of Canondom to wars that do not serve it’s own self-preservation or the will of GOD, but instead emboldens his own thirst for blood. It is true, beloved, that not even the ARCHANGEL MICHAEL nor his servants intervene as frequently as this ‘Raguel.’ To prove the fraudulent nature of this ‘Raguel,’ let us turn to church documentation about the encounter with ARCHANGEL MICHAEL. According to the Canons of Church history, MICHAEL’s single intervention came in a scripturally correct form, exercised directly though the Witnesses of his coming, and seen fully in the culmination of his efforts in the Inferi War. Pontiff James II testifies about his encounter with the Archangel in a papal decree titled “THE CRUSADE FOR PERPATIEL” written in 1781. Pontiff James cites the Scroll of Gospel’s assurance that GOD provides “signs of his watchfulness.” to verify the appearance of the Archangel. The Archangel did not merely claim his mantle - he took the Pontiff to the Heavens, proved that he was the brother of Holy Perpatiel, agreed to help the faithful shake off the yolk of the Ibleesian Inferi and did so before thousands of witnesses. Once his direct task was over, ARCHANGEL MICHAEL receded into the background and left the people of Canondom with a gift: the fire of GOD, which lives strongly within the souls of Holy Knights blessed by the LORD’s authority. MICHAEL, in other words, was simply a messenger who transmitted GOD’s plan and purpose for Canondom for a specific season and then allowed us to show our dedication to GOD on our own. He was as the Scriptures dictated - a sign of GOD’s watchfulness. Now let us contrast the behavior of ARCHANGEL MICHAEL as recorded in Church history to Raguel. This ‘Raguel’ appeared, as others have noted, in the same manner Auspice dictated a deceitful entity would appear. Auspice tells us more - this deceitful entity would not simply proclaim to be of the Light, it would seek to bring wrath and destruction to the world. Since the appearance of this ‘Raguel,’ far from being a ‘sign’, he has been an intractable feature of every major conflict in the past few years. He issues decrees, commands, and statements through himself. Did MICHAEL issue decrees, commands, and statements directly? I think not - he communicated through Man, as is spiritually necessary. This ‘Raguel,’ far from empowering the people of Canondom to execute GOD’s will, or assisting them in a secondary way, has taken it within his own hands to be the exclusive arbiter of ‘GOD’s will’, and he has used this designation to indiscriminately murder innocent men, women, and children, without offering any redemption or reprieve. Canondom is expected to follow his lead, not the other way around. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, on the other hand, set the judgment of GOD against hellbeasts and sorcerers - he did not bother with petty political squabbles between nations, nor did he take it upon himself to punish nations. Who led the people of humanity into battle? The Pontiff and the Church - MICHAEL simply helped. Who now leads the Church into battle? Raguel, the church merely follows. A tragedy. Beloved, I REBUKE Raguel, for he makes a mockery of our GOD and the scrolls. The SCROLLS make it plain that GOD’s true messengers to the world, such as the Exalted, did not behave in the manner of this Raguel! Take the destruction of Hohkmat, a city of heretic-magi. It was not a city of heretic magi that OWYN and the tribes of Ulgaard and Aehey are prophesied to destroy; it is Iblees himself and his direct consorts. GOD gave a sign to the magi in the Scroll of Spirit and it was not wrath, it was admonishment. For this Raguel to act outside of the bounds of GOD’s established word is for him to make a mockery of our LORD. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL’s appearance exalted GOD’s Providence, Raguel’s tears scripture into tatters. Lo, people of Canondom, the TRUE prophet is he who says what GOD revealed in the Scrolls and no more. The prophet is the one who helps the flock interpret the word of GOD, firstly, and helps bring forth deliverance to Canondom, secondly. I have spent my life bringing deliverance to the people of GOD, first as Grand Inquisitor of the Holy Inquisition and now as an exiled knight of the LORD, disgraced by the very Church he has helped sustain. Both the Church and Canondom need deliverance - and I intend to bring it forth with a flaming sword. I am a fire-washed warrior of GOD. I have exposed occult covens, burned witches at the stake, and delivered men from sickness and demonic possession. I am anointed to bring forth the deliverance of the realms. THIS IS WAR. With the authority vested in me as a servant of the LORD, I pick up my prophetic mantle and I use it to declare war against the one called Raguel. From this point on, my ambition and task will be the destruction of the pretender Raguel and every deceitful entity that accompanies him in his wicked task. The same fire called forth by OWYN, which established his legal dominion over the natural realm, belongs to us as followers of the Canon. Believers are not taught their power, but today this prophet reveals it to you. You, as a believer in GOD, have been given the authority to tread upon every mediocre evil of this world - and that includes the deceiver. Let a prayer commence this declaration of war: I decree and declare that the name ‘Raguel,’ within sixty days of the publication of this missive, will cause revulsion in the minds of the righteous. I decree and declare that for the next eighteen years constant war will visit Raguel and his wicked allies; they will have no peace, rest, or reprieve. Between the first and the eighteenth year, I decree and declare, GOD will annihilate the one known as Raguel. I decree and declare, hallelujah, that GOD is sending forth angels of truth to reclaim the mantle of justice from Raguel, and these angels shall expose the injustice of Raguel the Pretender. I decree and declare, thank you LORD, that eyes are being opened. The LORD shall reach out to the mind of the Pontiff and break the spell Raguel and the Grand Deceiver Iblees has placed upon his mind. GOD, save the Pontiff’s mind. I decree and declare that every future plot of Raguel against the nations of man be foiled, tied up, sealed, and frustrated for eternity. He shall never destroy another civilization. I decree and declare that the anointing of GOD will fall upon the righteous, and ears will be open where they were previously closed; eyes will see clearly where they were previously blinded by deceit; actions will conform to the righteousness where they formerly catered to vice and status quo. GOD is changing it now, AMEN! I decree and declare, thank you LORD, that any man that speaks against this anointing will be judged swiftly by the true angels of the LORD. I decree and declare, amen, that every word that comes from the mouth of Raguel is met with suspicion, scorn, disbelief, and is tested by the Scrolls. I decree and declare, in the name of the GOD of Canonism who crafted the universe, all influence that Raguel and any dark forces conspiring with him have over the nations of the world shall be broken immediately, burnt up by the HOLY FIRE OF GOD. AMEN! May these declarations be received, sealed, and issued within the courtrooms of the Seven Skies, with GOD and ARCHANGEL MICHAEL as my witness. AMEN! Let this be an invitation for holy men: deliverance must happen, but it will only happen if you allow GOD to work through your actions. I encourage you to participate with me in the annihilation of Raguel. Train, pray, write to me, and gather others who wish to see this deceiver fall. Together, we shall piece together an army of righteousness. TO the Church: You have been DECEIVED. But GOD is calling for your deliverance, and what he says shall come to pass. I encourage you to sever ties from this Raguel, re-evaluate your relationship with the alliances forged under his watch, and return to governing the matters of Canondom instead of terrorizing the world. TO the Pontiff: I will meet with you personally and pray for you so that your mind might escape the allure of the deceiver. TO Raguel: Your time has come. It will be the flaming sword of GOD, wielded by my hands, that strikes true against you. Your trial date has been set in the Seven Skies, and your conviction is all but assured. Surrender to the people of GOD, admit that you are a deceiver and a warmonger, and forsake the ill-begotten title of “justice” that you claim. If you do these things, GOD may decide to have mercy on you. But if you persist in your deceit and respond to this missive with indignation or anger, your destruction will be swift. Let the people of GOD go; let their minds go, let their souls go, let their kingdoms go or DIE. Let them go or DIE. Heed my word, Canondom. Forsake the machinations of the wicked, reject the False Savior Raguel, and turn to GOD and only GOD. HOLY WAR shall bring this deceiver to his knees, and true justice will flourish throughout the realms. ▪────༺ ◘ ༻────▪ Ser Philip the Righteous God’s Prophet of Fire, Wielder of Owyn’s Burning Sword of Judgment, Blessed of the Archangel, Bane of the Darkness, Evangelist to the Nations

"The light of GOD is being shone upon this great deceit. Before I am called to the Seven Skies, I will oversee the downfall of this "Raguel" and the purification of the church from his influence. Praise GOD - deliverance is coming!" Philip yelled from the abandoned island he now lives in during his exile.

[!] An old, pious cloaked knight grips the reins of his steed as it stops just a short distance away from Hohkmat. The smoke and embers of the Hohkmati ruins coat the skies a sickly black, a sign of the wrath of the Pretender. Ser Philip stares at the desecrated sight with a certain solemn reminiscience. He had no love for the ways of the Hohkmati, but their demise simply fuelled the notion that Raguel is the true light-bringer. That worried Philip. "It will not be an external foe that endangers the people of GOD; It will be our own wilingness to look beyond dogma and towards GOD's truth." Philip said as he grasps the reins of his steed and directed it northward. "We must pray for what is to come." And with that, the knight galloped off into the night, in exile.